The Coming Battle
by Songbird341
Summary: *Sequel to The Show Must Go On* After the Shadow/Light incident, Jade and Cat decided to open a talent show. What happens when their star performer is really a Light messenger, sent to prepare them for The Coming Battle? (CANCELED, READ NOTICE AT THE END)
1. Prologue

**The Coming Battle by Songbird341**

**Summary: *Sequel to The Show Must Go On* After the Shadow/Light incident, Jade and Cat thought their adventures were over, and opened a talent show. What happens when their star performer is really a Light messenger, sent to prepare them for the ultimate battle between Light and Darkness?**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Victorious!**

_**Hollywood Arts Talent Show**_

_**Ready to get discovered?**_

_**Nursed your talents at this school long enough?**_

_**Think you can get famous with one act?**_

_**Audition for the Hollywood Arts Talent Show!**_

_**Who knows? You could land the star performance! **_

_**Talent scouts will be attending, so this is not short of a star opportunity!**_

_**For more information, contact: Jade West or Cat Valentine**_

Jade looked over the flier Cat had typed up, and nodded approvingly. Cat had always had a knack for wording things perfectly. Otherwise, Jade would've taken it into her own hands, which she had a habit of doing, honestly. But only Jadelyn West knew that Cat wasn't _always_ a dizzy airhead. But often.

They lounged on Cat's plush couch, in a peaceful living room, scented with cinnamon, like usual. They decided to come to her house after school was over, partly because Jade's mother was with her latest boyfriend, partly because Cat's foster parents were out with her crazy younger foster brother, Matt, and Jade would rather be alone than with her mother and her crazy meddling boyfriend. Plus, Cat needed to feed her doves. _And her hamster. And her dogs. Oh, and her cats._ Jade rolled her eyes behind closed lids at the fact that Cat had named a cat after her. _Sweet, I guess, but a cat? I'd rather be a snake... _At least she had picked a black cat, not a puffy white ragdoll cat.

Cat squealed happily, clapping her hands and doing a little dance in her silky lavender jogging suit. She had been so excited for the HA Talent Show. She and Jade were going to host it, judging the acts, training them, and singing at the end, while the judges voted. Jade, Cat and Andre usually sang a song and danced, which had won them 1st place for the past 3 years. Lane had seen this, and asked them to host, so someone else could have a chance at the prize. Though Jade wasn't convinced, Cat agreed to host, claiming it would be "fun and exciting".

_But what's the use if you don't win?_ Jade questioned herself. _And why on earth did I agree to this? _She had been performing every year, holding out for the record label she had been wanting: _Rose Thorne Records._ The dream record label, of course. And, surprisingly, Cat hadn't accepted her first offer, _Brite Starz Records_, shocking her friends, but at the same time, relieving them. No one made it out of _Brite Starz_ without wearing sleazy clothing, singing dirty songs, and pulling big unbelievable stunts for publicity. Fortunately, she had held out for the big guns: _The Songbird Records._ They were considering her now, so this ending performance would be deal-breaking.

But she wasn't worried about that. "You think people will audition? I hope so! This will be so fun!" Cat rambled on, something about her brother performing in a talent show, but "dropping his drawers" _(Sometimes, Cat talks like a freaking grandmother.)_ and being banned from the talent show. And the school. Jade pretended to listen, but stared at the second-to-last line on the colorful piece of paper. _Talent scouts will be attending,_ it said. Butterflies reenacted World War I in her stomach as her eyes traced the words over and over again. Her hands grew cold as a horrible picture flashed before her eyes: tripping on stage, hitting a flat note, burping into the mic, all kind of disasters that could ruin her shot at the Big Time. And then, all those butterflies flopped on their backs, and she almost threw up.

Cat noticed this, and touched her shoulder. "Are you okay, Jadey? Nervous?" She asked, chewing on a piece of hair and staring at a paler-than-usual Jade. "It's okay. I'm nervous too. You know that Rose Bush Records will love you, so you don't need to worry!" Jade looked at her, then leaned over, her hands resting on her knees.

"It's _Rose Thorne_, not Rose Bush." She scoffed in disgust, though, not disgusted enough to upset Cat. She knew her whining would make her stomach churn more than it did, so she was gentler in her next sentence. "Yeah, we'll put those fliers up around school early tomorrow morning. Come on, let's go to Carl's Copies before they close." She muttered, replied to with a "Kay kay!".

"Hold on, let me feed Mira, Matthew, Paisley, Kiki, Koko, June and Jade!" Cat called out, running down the hall and upstairs, to her new bedroom, received as of last month. Jade followed her up the two flights of stairs, up a ladder, and into the attic. Or, Cat's new bedroom.

It was huge: tall, with slanted ceilings, a wide wooden floor, and a little circular window facing the backyard, letting in a hazy kind of light (Jade's favorite kind of light). Her bed lay sideways next to that window, with a chest at the foot, and a table next to it, with a storybook, a lamp, and a plate of brownies sitting on it. There were bookcases, and a small toy box in the corner, overflowing with little toys, from barbies to Inside-Out Burger trinkets. And in one corner, farthest from the ladder, were all her animals. Her two doves, Mira and Matthew (named after her foster brother), her hamster, Paisley, her dogs, Kiki and Koko (both Shih-Tzu's) and her cats, June and Jade. She also had a goldfish, Percy, but her brother already fed him, in his strange adoration of the disgusting animal.

"Remind me again, why you have so many filthy – lovely animals." Jade coughed. Cat giggled and explained as she fed her dogs.

"Because they're so sweet!" She squeaked, stroking Koko's fluffy, chocolate-brown and white face. Kiki whimpered, and Cat walked over and petted(?) her. "Oh, I'm sorry Kiki, baby. Mommy woves you too, sweetie-pie!" She cooed. Jade rolled her eyes.

"So, are you gonna keep these... creatures up here every day?" She asked, almost concerned. _She's not that dumb, right?_

"Of course not, silly!" She walked over to her hamster cage. "I carry my cats and dogs downstairs every day! Except for today, because we're leaving. And Matt already let the doggies out." Jade wondered what on earth would _ever_ persuade Cat to carry those smelly animals up and down that ladder every day. _But that's just Cat, I guess..._

"And the birds fly down! Speaking of which," Cat paused, jumping onto her bed, opening the window and sticking her head out. "Mira, Matthew!" She called out and whistled.

Jade watched in awe as the two doves flew in through the window, resting on Cat's arm.

She couldn't help but be impressed. She walked up to Cat, not lifting her gaze from the obviously-brainwashed bird. "How did you get them to do that? They were free! They could have flown far away and be out of the country by now!" She gaped.

Cat smiled, caressing the snow white bird as she spoke. "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours!" She practically sang.

Jade had never understood that phrase. If something wants to be set free, why on earth would it come back? As far as she was concerned, if it's free, it's lucky, so it should kick its tail-feathers in to high gear and make for Mexico!

"Hey... What's that?" Jade shifted her gaze to one of the white birds' foot. _Or talons. Or whatever._

"Whatty?" Cat asked in concern, examining her doves. Jade shook her head and pointed to a piece of paper in it's foot.

"That. It's a note," Jade pulled the paper out of its clutches. "It was carrying a note?"

"She, Jade. She was carrying it. Mira's a she!" Cat corrected her. Jade groaned inwardly and unrolled the note.

"I can't understand it! It all looks like it's upside-down or something!" She thrust the paper at Cat. "You try and decode it! You're always doing those stupid puzzles..." She grumbled, embarrassed that she couldn't read it herself.

"Oh! It's Italian!" Cat giggled, staring at it.

There was a pause. "Do you speak Italian?" Jade asked slowly. Cat nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah? THEN READ IT!" She spat, slightly offending Cat.

"Kay kay..." Cat scanned the page and began, clearing her throat.

_"A time is near_

_To face our offenders_

_To conquer our destroyers_

_To stop the past's repetitive future_

_So sent to you, our warriors_

_The chosen ones,_

_An attendant_

_Who will train you and ready you_

_For that coming time."_ She finished. She looked up at Jade, who was zoned out. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked softly, no offense even hinted in her voice. Only pure confusion and worry.

Jade shook her head slowly. "I have no idea, Cat..."

Cat looked at the note again, chewing on her lower lip. "Maybe it has something to do with the Sha-"

"No. No, it doesn't. Let's go to Carl's Copies now." Jade said abruptly, cutting Cat off. She didn't like thinking about... The Shadows. She still hadn't forgotten what Melissa had said to her, about becoming a Shadow. _What had she meant by that?_ Jade felt more sick than she had when the thought entered her mind.

Her mind was a dark place: filled with horrifying creatures, dangerous ideas, disgusting sights that others would find quite disturbing, haunting memories she hadn't shaken from her childhood. A cold, lonely place that even a zombie, hungry for brains, would avoid. So of course, the Shadow of Marcus Trindle would enter her body. It was fitting.

What had struck her odd was that while Cat was a Light when she was "escorted" from her body, Jade was a Shadow. It scared her, to think that maybe she was a Shadow, herself. Though she always considered herself a dark creation, made only for suffering and causing others pain.

But then, Robbie was a Shadow. Still, Marcus was a blood-relative. _Maybe he was born a Shadow..._

So, heeding Jade's quick, angered response, Cat fed the doves and hurried downstairs, outside, and to the car, Jade close behind. But as they made their way to and from Carl's Copies, she couldn't think about anything but the note until she was at her own front door that night, waiting for entrance.

_It's nothing, Jade. Just some prank. You're overreacting._ When no one answered, Jade kicked the locked door open, and stomped up to bed. She didn't even want to know where her mother was that night.

;"*"*"*"*"*;

_**Thanks for reading my first chapter of The Coming Battle!**_

_**This might not be the best first chapter, but it's just setting the scene. I have a great feeling about this story, so stay tuned ;)**_

_**PLEEAASEEEEEE review! The last story got about 5-6 reviews each chapter, so I'm pushing for 7! Thank you!**_

_****~Songbird341~****_


	2. Dreaded Auditions

_**Okay, so we didn't exactly reach our review quota, but I was so excited to update I couldn't help myself! But this time, no exceptions; I WILL wait for 6-7 reviews. I need to figure out a length for this, based on popularity.**_

_**Thanks for all the positive reviews! I honestly have a fantastic feeling about this story! I'm only a few chapters ahead, for the first time. But this means I can take ideas and requests more often.**_

_**Nevertheless, I have the whole plot thought out, and there will most definitely be a third story after this. That might not mean much to you right now, but after the last chapter, a new story will DEFINITELY be required. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review!**_

_****~Songbird341~****_

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Victorious!**

Jade ran in, straightening the black shirt that she had thrown on that morning, through the doors of the big building that had been so close to her heart for the past two years; Hollywood Arts. The cold, silent emptiness of the outside air was a dramatic difference to the loud hustling and bustling of the Performing Arts school. People all around the crowded hallways were playing instruments, reading scripts, and rehearsing their dance routines. Jade loved to watch it all: The dancers doing flips and spins, the musicians beating on their keyboards, blowing on their trumpets, the duets and trios harmonizing; but she just didn't have the patience for that right now.

Red-head Cat Valentine was also missing out on the action, but she didn't seem to mind. She was too busy running around squealing, passing out our multicolored fliers, advertising the talent show that Jade had already been dreading. _The last thing I want to do this evening is watch a bunch of acts perform for my approval, then have the stress of deciding whose dreams I should crush. Can I just call in sick?_ But that idea was already ruined by the fact that she was at school, perfectly healthy. Suddenly, Cat spotted her and approached her at a pace threatening a cheetah. She scrambled for an excuse, to avoid coming to the dumb audition, but Cat had already reached her, and she had but one idea.

"Hey, Jadey! Make sure to be at the audition so we can-"

"My dog died." Jade announced quickly. Cat looked at her quizzically.

"But you don't _have_ a dog..." She objected, not accusingly but in confusion.

"Yeah, well, not _now_..." Jade sputtered. _Way to go, idiot._

But Cat believed her. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Jade! I understand, you need to be at your doggie's funeral." She nodded sympathetically. "I guess I can run the audition myself..." She sighed and touched Jade's shoulder. Instantly, guilt flowed through Jade's whole being.

"No!" Jade felt bad about making Cat do it all by herself, feeling bad for her for no real reason. "No, I think I'll be okay. I'll – be there, yeah."

"YAY!"

;"*"*"*"*"*;

Jade walked into the auditorium, expecting and hoping for empty seats, but finding otherwise; it was a full house. It seemed like everyone had been totally organized: The musicians all sat in the upper-left corner of the chairs, the actors, the right, the dancers sat in the bottom-right area, and the misc. (like ventriloquists and such, along with those wanting to be part of the crew) in the lower-left. But in the singing area, Jade saw something that made her want to throw up. _Hayley Ferguson?_

True as blue, Hayley, along with Tara Ganz, sat in the singing section, their legs crossed, texting someone. _Probably each other. What are they even doing here?_ But then Jade remembered: This was an open talent show. _All the more hilarity and disturbance._

She wanted to go scream in their face, for her hatred for them had risen to a new level. Sadly, they both texted each other while sitting next to each other, and wore a skirt over their jeans, which was on her list of "Things I Hate". But something shook her out of her evil thoughts. Her PearPhone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she unlocked the screen and saw a text message: _Deer Jayde. Bet u didnt see us comeng, did u? Were gunna tirn ur talint sho intoo sumtheng amazeng, so wach out. Sinceerly, Hayley and Tara. Ur wirst nitemayr. ~ From __**TaraGurlll**_

It was almost impossible to read with the horrendous spelling, but Jade made out enough to tell that she hated this process already. _Ha! Like they thinks we're gonna let them in the show! _Jade smiled to herself at the thought of them squealing and crying when she told them they had no talent. Making her way up to the Judge's booth, she waved to get Cat's attention. But she was very consumed in a conversation with someone. And this time, she wasn't the one talking. Surprised, Jade walked closer, tapping Cat's shoulder. And as she turned, the Gothic girl saw not only Cat's face, but another. And this one would have caught anyone's eye, even next to the most colorful girl in Los Angeles.

This girl was paler than pale, with a hint of rosy pink at the cheeks, and no blemishes to be found. Her eyes were gray, tinted gold, and her eyelashes were almost too long, in Jade's opinion. Her hair was dark reddish-brown, with darker streaks, wavy and flowing to her elbows, starting to fall into loose ringlets at the shoulder. Her lips were dark red, almost matching her hair. Her eyebrows were thin, curvy lines that decorated her forehead, which wrinkled slightly at the sight of Jade.

"Hey, Jade! This is Viviana, but she goes by Vivi. Guess what? We both know Italian!" Cat giggled, looking at Jade, then back at "Vivian".

"Interesting." Jade muttered, sizing up the only-an-inch-taller-than-Cat girl. Something was not right about this girl. At an attempt to intimidate the girl, she walked closer to clearly define the difference in height, and pecking order. The girl did not budge.

She just turned to Cat. "'Rina, does this girl understand the importance of _personal space_?" Viviana asked wittingly. Jade turned red in anger.

_I call her 'Rina, not you, chick!_ "Wow, Cat, you've known her for five minutes and she's already given you a nickname. And your _best friend_." She spat, snapping her lips around every syllable. "Let's sit down and start the auditions. Are _you_ auditioning?" The last question was directed toward the loathsome Viviana. Cat just looked left and right, chewing on her lower lip.

"In fact," She spat right back. Jade pretended to wipe spit off her face, smirking. "_I am_. Hope you enjoy it." She smiled falsely, turning to Cat. "Bye, _'Rina_!"

Jade clenched her fists and sat angrily at the table. "Let's just get this over with."

Cat sat next to her. "Jadey, you're not _jealous_, are you?" She asked playfully, poking her shoulder. Jade whipped her head toward the ditzy redhead and prepared to tell her what she was _really_ thinking. And it wasn't pretty.

But she bit her tongue and thought of another excuse. "I'm just mad because Hay-LeaveMyPoorEarsAlone and Tara-MyEardrumsInTwo are here. Auditioning." She growled. "Bet they didn't know we were judges, huh?"

Cat scowled. "Aw, fooey." She whimpered as she cowered back into her chair. Hayley and Tara had been the bullies that got her into thinking she's "Fat Cat". It's caused major health problems and depression for her. And starving herself for months. Jade hated them for that and could not forgive herself for not finding out sooner.

"It's okay, Cat. I won't let them bother you. They'll speak to my fist first." She assured the girl, who was no doubt having an anxiety attack at that moment. "Let's start."

;"*"*"*"*"*";

Jade stared dully at the freshman on the stage, hula-hooping to an old 80's song. Never keeping the hula-hoop suspended in the air for more than 10 seconds. After 13 acts like this, she could not take any more. She just couldn't.

So, she stood, jumped up on stage, walked up the godforsaken CD player, opened it, took out the disc, dropped it on the ground, closed the CD player, and left the stage. Everyone in the audience stared at her, as did the poor girl on stage. Frustrated, she shouted "WHAT? WE ALL KNEW SOMEBODY WAS GONNA DO IT EVENTUALLY! I TOOK THE LIBERTY AND SAVED YOU THE TROUBLE." She snapped, sitting back in her chair. "NEXT!"

Recovering from the shock, Cat called out the next name. "Uh, Hayley Ferguson." She yelled. _Oh, God help us all..._ Jade said to herself.

Bratty Hayley flounced up to the stage, smirking at Jade as she passed. Tara followed her, waving at them. Cat waved back unwittingly.

As they reached the stage, Jade called out angrily. "Excuse me, but did we call her name out, too?" She asked, looking at Cat. "I don't think we did, did we?"

"We perform as a duo!" Tara squeaked, swaying back and forth in her purple dress, which was topped with a pink tie-up sweater. Jade was disgusted.

"Yeah, and we accept solos!" She squeaked equally loud and piercing. "So get off the stage!"

"Jade..." Cat began, looking around. "Let's not cause any trouble..."

Jade snapped her head toward her. "You're saying we _should_ let them be a duo?" Cat nodded meekly, and Jade waved her hand lazily toward the stage, as a sign of release.

Beck walked into the theater moments later, and hurried up to the Judge's table, kissing Jade's head. "Hey, babe. Sorry I'm late."

"You didn't miss anything." She grumbled, pointing to Hayley and Tara. Then, they began.

"_You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset._" Hayley began, looking straight at Beck. Jade shook her head slowly.

"_She's going off about something that you said,_" Tara swirled her finger in circles, looking at Jade then rolling her eyes, implying that she was crazy. Jade's grip tightened on Beck's shoulder.

"_She doesn't get your humor like **I do**_." Hayley smirked, wiggling her eyebrows.

But after a few lines, Jade's head shot up. She looked at Cat in shock. "Are they... doing _good_?" She whispered worriedly. Cat nodded, chewing on her hair.

Andre walked up, staring at the stage, and took a seat. His lip quivered as he nodded toward the stage, stuttering. "A-are th-they-?" Jade smacked his shoulder so he would quiet down.

They had, for some reason, decided to change up the order of the song. "_And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town_," She flashed a white smile at Andre.

Hayley's turn. "_I haven't seen it in a while, since **she** brought you down._" She looked at Jade then flipped her hair, rolling her eyes.

"_You say you're fine, I know you better than that. Hey, what'cha doing with a girl like** that**_?" Tara spat in Beck's direction, fulfilling her purpose, then turning to Andre to flirt some more.

Jade sat in shock and pure fury, staring into space, her head pounding. She couldn't even express the hatred building up inside of her. Beck rubbed her neck, but it didn't help. None of the judges made any gesture or noise of any kind. Andre reached a hand up, signaling them to stop.

"Um, next?" Cat fumbled over her papers, and called out the next name. "Oh! Viviana... there's no last name. Viviana?" She turned to the audience and shouted the name, until the pale girl rose up and made her way to the stage.

Jade recollected herself and laid eyes on this Viviana.

She walked to the center of the stage, turned to the people in chairs, and began. "_Untouchable, like a distant diamond sky. I'm reaching out, and I just can't tell you why._" She smiled at Cat, Andre and Beck, and frowned when her gaze fell on Jade West. "_I'm caught up in you, I'm caught up in you. Untouchable, burning brighter than the sun. And when you're close, I feel like coming undone._"

She was amazing. Her voice rose and fell smoothly, hitting the rough notes like they were Doe-Ray-Me. And suddenly, a faint light shined down on her face, as she looked up. "_In the middle of the night, when I'm in this dream, it's like a million little stars spelling out your name. You gotta come on, come on; say that we'll be together. Come on, come on; little taste of heaven._" And as she said those words, her skin glowed slightly, and she looked down at the audience, dumbstruck.

Suddenly, the auditorium erupted in cheer and clapping. Squeals and whistles erupted from the chairs. Even more applause then when Cat and Jade performed. And it made Jade boil.

_Cat and I will sing so great that we'll triple that noise!_ She thought angrily. _You just wait, "Vivi". 'Rina and I will knock you off your block. And you'll be forced to applaud us in the audience._ Yes, Jade hadn't even considered the fact that she had done a good job, and that she was liable for the talent show. As were Hayley and Tara, sadly. Which she would find out, sooner rather than later.

;"*"*"*"*";

"Okay, thank you all for auditioning! We'll post the cast list tomorrow, in the school and, if you don't go to our school, at the library on Cornerstone Street. Be sure to check it out. Bye." Beck announced as everyone exited the theater. When they all left, he let out an exhausted breath.

"I didn't know there were so many talentless teenagers in Los Angeles..." He sighed, returning to his seat. As he said this, Robbie and Rex walked in, arguing.

"No, I did not forget the lines! I was _improvising_!" Rex objected.

Robbie rolled his eyes. "It was not funny to make fun of my shirt!"

Rex laughed. "Come on, it's pink! Pink!"

"Pink is a guy color!"

"Yeah, for girly-guys!"

"Leave me alone!" Robbie demanded, turning to his friends. "Hey Andre, Beck, Jade," He began, walking closer and tapping Cat's nose. "Baby."

Cat giggled. "Hey, 'baby'!" She squeaked, pecking him on the cheek.

"How did my audition look?" He asked nervously. "Am I in?"

"We haven't even had time to talk about it, dork." Jade snapped. Cat made puppy-dog eyes at her, and she sighed. "Rob-bie." She forced the word out like it hurt.

"Come on, he did good! Can he _please_ be in it? _Pleeeeaaaaseee_?" Cat asked sweetly. The others glanced at each other and nodded in submission. "YAY!" She squealed, wrapping her arms around Robbie's neck and squeezing him happily.

Andre glanced at them all. "So, who else? Obviously that awesome dance group, 2Infinity. And that Viviana chick, she was amazing." Jade groaned inwardly. "And Leslie Papperman." Andre pointed out. 2Infinity was a dance team made up of 4 guys and one girl (whose name was Infinity, odd as it may seem.) that had everyone on their feet clapping.

"Leslie? She looks too much like that dirtbag from ." Jade snapped. "I say _no_." She crossed her arms defiantly.

Cat looked at her sadly. "We have to let her in, even if we don't like her, because she was a great actress. That's how it works..." She sighed. Andre looked up.

"Speaking of which, Hayley and Tara..." Jade gagged at the mention of them, looking at Andre. Cat shriveled at the names. Robbie was now sitting in the chair, she in his lap, and she hid her face in his shoulder. Jade spoke up.

"You _really_ think I'm letting them into this show?" She snickered. "No, thank you."

"Jade, they've gotten better. They're good enough." Andre argued. _Probably just because of his crush on Tara,_ Jade recognized.

"No, Andre." She said firmly. _He needs to get over his little crush and think about Cat._

"But, Jade-"

Cat abruptly stood and trotted away, not making eye contact with anyone. Jade rolled her eyes and grabbed Andre's arm, pulling him out of the auditorium and into the halls of Hollywood Arts. She was going to set him straight.

But that's when she was someone else, a girl standing in the hallways, talking to someone. _What's she still doing here? _Jade walked up to ask them what they were doing, but when they turned, something strange happened. A light flashed, something shrieked, and they were gone, along with whoever they had been talking to. And on the ground was a little dark spot, like an immobile, inactive black hole. From 10 feet away, Jade thought she was losing her mind. Until she noticed a black figure rise up from the hole and seep into the ceiling. Blinking and shaking her head, she wondered if she was insane, or in some kind of aftershock from the whole Light/Shadow incident.

She turned to see if Andre had seen it as well, but Andre was nowhere to be found. She slowly walked around, looking for the musician. But as she neared the doorway into the auditorium, someone walked up to her from behind.

;"*"*"*"*";

_**Thanks for reading, and even if this didn't make a big impression on you, PLEASE REVIEW! I need to see who's reading to decide how long to make this, so please take the time to write up a quick review! Thank you :)**_

_****~Songbird341~****_


	3. An Uneasy Evening

_**I'm back...**_

_**HEY GUYS! You don't know how crazy sad I was while I was gone! But I am back, in the flesh (or ink, or computer screen, or whatever) and don't plan on leaving for a while! The holidays are over, I'm re-accustomed to school, and I made it out ALIVE! So please enjoy the next chapter to my story, The Coming Battle.**_

_****~Songbird341~****_

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN VIC OR TORIOUS!**

"Jade?"

Jade whipped her head around, expecting to see a dark figure, or maybe a burning light. But her superstitions were false. Instead, she found Viviana. _Oh, great._

"What are _you_ doing here?" Jade asked, edginess bubbling up in her voice.

Viviana shook her head quickly. "The question is, what are _you_ doing here?" She countered, irritated.

Jade rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this. Did you see Andre on your way in?" She queried, starting to worry. _What were those figures? Where was Andre? They weren't..._ No. They weren't Lights or Shadows. She wouldn't believe it. She just needed closure, was all. Nothing more, nothing less.

"No. Have _you_ seen anything?" She inquired, getting a little too close for Jade's comfort. Her pale gold eyes looked cold.

_What does she mean?_ "N-no. I don't know what you're talking about. Now, answer me. What are you doing here?" Jade asked again, angrily.

Viviana rolled her own eyes. "That doesn't matter, kay? I need to talk to Cat." She looked at the Gothic girl with a strange, emotionless expression. "Are you okay? You look pale..."

"That's _so strange_ to you, isn't it?" She snapped sarcastically. "I wouldn't think so. You're not familiar with pale faces?" She joked, gesturing toward her own pale skin.

"What does _that_ mean?" Viviana half-shrieked, sounding briefly terrified.

She stared at her for a moment. "Just forget it. Cat was just scared off, so excuse me while I go find her." Jade started to walk away, but Viviana grabbed her shoulder and gripped onto it with her long nails. She jerked to a stop, and turned to look at her captor. "What is your-?"

"_**You saw something, didn't you**_?" Her voice boomed, lower than it should have been. "_**Tell me, Jade**_." She dug her nails into her shoulder.

Jade tried to shake her off. "Get _off of me_! I don't know what the heck you want, but I'm officially freaked out!" She finally broke free and shambled away from the strange girl.

Out of the building, Jade breathed heavily as she ran. Her feet moved almost automatically under her, trampling leaves and twigs along the way. Her wavy black locks flew back behind her as the cold wind slapped her face and stung her eyes. She hated to admit it, but she was genuinely terrified. The girl whom she had turned against her; rather unwittingly, she soon realized; had gotten into her head. This was a foreign concept to the Wicked Witch of the West. She was used to be the horrifying, not the horrified. And this strange turn of events made her wonder who she was. Although, lately, many things made her wonder so.

The smallest things had begun to bother her: Hayley and Tara's mere appearance had made her skin crawl; A shadowed corner of the Hollywood Arts corridor was turned into a Shadow, countering with a Light; And now Viviana, probably only wondering what Jade's problem was, had started to tug at Jade's security. She hadn't had any closure after the play's disastrous opening night, and it had affected her both physically and emotionally. She had simply refused to believe it, until now.

Her heart rate decreased as her gait waned down to a jog, then a fast walk. Soon, she was swinging her feet, trying to regain sanity. And thankfully, she managed to harvest some reasoning from her "twisted" mind.

"Relax. You saw nothing, and you need to relax." She mumbled to herself, slowly falling out of her tension. She opened her eyes and examined her surroundings. Aside from her panicked thoughts that still spun around in her head, the scene was peaceful. She glanced around for other people, feeling someone's eyes on her. But then, it was probably her imagination.

Thankfully, no one had been watching her inner-meltdown. She tried to enjoy the scenery: the orange and red leaves swirling around in the wind, something she thought was only in cartoons. The cold air was something particularly appealing to Jade; Autumn was always her favorite season. Winter brought snow, which was too cold, wet, and purely dreadful. Plus, all the annoying Christmas shoppers and Santa's in the malls and stores brought a strange sense of artificiality, like fake cheer and happiness when really, people out there were hurting, no matter what presents lay under the tree.

Spring was full of rain, which Jade was thought to love. But she didn't. Wind was beautiful. Rain was sad. It made you wet, and if you haven't noticed, being wet makes you ten times heavier. Rain was a terrible thing that seemed to know when your life was the lowest, so it could pour down on your head and make it much worse. It crept up when you least expected it, and opened up in the sky, to make you run home in fear of lightning. The rolling thunder frightened children everywhere, which Jade didn't mind, supposing she did the same thing to unsuspecting kids. But one of those children was she, herself, throughout her childhood full of never fearing anything but just that. It was always a long spring for the young West girl.

And Summer was the alleged "perfect season". No. It's hot, which causes everyone to sweat (with the one exception of Jade). And though no one enjoyed sweating, for some reason inexplicable to Jade, everyone loved the season of heat and exhaustion. Other than the time away from school, it was the most awful season of the year.

And as Jade watched a stray leaf tumble across the broken sidewalk, she wondered why Autumn couldn't be the only season of the year. Believe it or not, she had an eye for extraordinary things, which, this was. The leaf was so peculiar, strangely shaped like a heart. Her gaze lingered on it, but slowly fell on a hole in a tree, the leaves inside rustling as a squirrel jumped out. She stared hollowly at the small creature when she heard a leaf crunch.

She spun around to look for the small leaf, but found it was still intact. She picked it up to examine it again, but another sound interrupted the serenity of the autumn scene, and she allowed it to float to the ground.

She wasn't moving; who had crunched the leaf?

Instantly, a incessant thought that had become very familiar to her flashed in her mind. _No, that's impossible._

_Something moved in the corner of her eye. "W-who's there? Show yourself!" She shouted, but hardly any sound came out of her mouth. A quick movement caught her attention to her left, then to her right, and her left again. She whipped her head around, following the impossibly fast movements, until her vision fuzzed and she almost toppled over from dizziness. Everything was spinning around her, and she couldn't breathe; her air was whisked from her as she fell to the ground with a resounding thud. _

"_Ough!" She shouted, but no one heard it. Except what met her as she opened her eyes._

_A pair of glowing golden eyes peered into her own blue ones. An eery smile crept out from under the golden eyes, and the rest of the Shadow's form took place around them. It reached out to her and grabbed her throat, and though she knew it could not touch her as it was only a Shadow, it felt as if it squeezed the breath out of her. She tried to scream, but her voice failed her. She sat panting as it grew closer until she felt its own breathing. She wanted to fight, to push away, but sadly, It was as thin as air, and impossible to feel or harm. She was helpless in all but to cry. _

_But her Saving Grace was a glowing form emerging from inside the tree. She heard a shriek, and the shadow zipped away, as did the burning light. She stood quickly, hands trembling as they pushed her up from the cold sidewalk. She ran as fast as she could, but could not escape._

_They were on every corner, behind every tree, jumping out at her and grabbing at her. She ran faster and faster, her breath fogging in the cold air that had seemed so peaceful only moments ago. It was worse than any horror movie ever imagined, because it was reality. Cold, broken, twisted reality. _

_And as she ran, something bright glowed in the corners of her eyes, coming out from behind her. She didn't stop to investigate, because she really didn't want to know. She just dead-ran for her home, which felt safer than it had the day before. Because before, it was a place she avoided, a place that was lonely and sad and dreary. But now, it was the only safe place from these creatures that shrouded her life ever since that dreaded play!_

. . . . .

Finally, she reached her house and ran inside, slamming the door behind her and locking it. She slammed her back against the door, trying to catch her breath. She slowly slid her back down to the ground, folding her hands around her face and quietly sobbing. She didn't like being scared, so she had trained herself to never be scared of anything since she was born. It was an instinct. And now, though she was sitting in her own house with her own mother and own body, unlike some other days (you know them), she felt farther from herself than she ever had. She felt like Jade West died and was thrown into some entire stranger's body. It was killing her.

After emptying her tears, she looked up, sniffling. Her new boots were squeezing her legs, so she took them off, only to find something that threw her over the edge: a crumbled heart-shaped leaf. Wide-eyed, she picked up the leaf and stared at it until tears clouded in her eyes. But before all vision blurred, she saw her Mother and sister Lydia watching her at the kitchen doorway.

"J-Jade?" Lydia asked, her voice cracking in concern.

She just stood up and ran to her room, holding the broken leaf to her heart. She threw herself onto her bed in the pitch-black room, lit only by her blue-glowing alarm clock. She looked at the leaf, torn down the middle, hanging by the last fiber of its being. Since the whole Shadow/Light deal, she had fallen into a strange depression. _Funny,_ she thought, _Two broken hearts in one room._

_And staring through her window, was a glowing Girl, burning brighter than the sun. She watched Jade as she cried herself to sleep out of terror. She sighed and pressed her palm to her forehead. "She saw me. She might have just ruined everything."_

_**So, are you glad I'm back? Should I go leave again? Was this any good?**_

_**I defeated Writer's Block! YAY! However, this was a chapter written before I left, which I didn't post because I knew I couldn't follow it up. So, I'm going to start writing, but be patient! I have other stories to attend to, and though this is Writer's Sin, I plan on starting ANOTHER story soon, a friendship/romance fic about Cat and Robbie. **_

_**Alrighty, so PLEASE review and let me know what you think! Thanks so much :)**_

_****~Songbird341~****_


	4. Of Journals and Patios

_**I'm updating again :) This is where the fun begins...**_

_**I just developed more of the story's future, and am currently writing the next chapters! Let's just say, this story is going to have a LOT of twists and turns, and I'm even considering a series, if I get a certain amount of reviews for this story. I'm not revealing the number yet, but I hope you guys will read and review!**_

_****~Songbird341~****_

**DISCLAIMER: I. Don't. Own. Victorious.**

;"*"*"*"*";

Jade woke up the next morning, feeling especially cold. Forcing herself out of her bed, she walked down the hall and straight to the coffee machine. She rubbed her sore neck, probably from her tumbling and turning sleep, and inserted the coffee grinds, watching as they slowly turned into the best beverage known to mankind. Coffee.

She grabbed her steaming cup and pulled it up to her lips, inhaling the bitter aroma that swirled in her cup, almost tasting it. She let the mist that had followed the coffee hit her face, and closed her eyes as she took a sip.

"Jade?"

Jade zipped around, expecting to see some kind of Shadow or something. You might be thinking, "She's well out of her mind, now, isn't she?". Well, yes. She has gone slightly insane. Don't worry, though, it won't last too long.

Instead, she found Cat and Viviana, sitting at _her_ kitchen table. "Cat! Why would you-?" Her eyes narrowed as they rested on Viviana, the creep that she had lost sleep over. "You..."

"It's Saturday! I came to talk to you about the talent show!" Cat squeaked. Jade briefly wondered how Cat could be so bouncy at 8 in the morning. But her thoughts quickly shifted to the fact that Viviana, the girl who _dared_ to use her nickname for Cat, had entered her private realm.

"You're mad?"

Jade gestured to the girl with reddish hair. "Hmm..." She sighed in an artificially-sweet voice, clenching her fists, but trying not to scare Cat away. She really had been meaning to talk to her, maybe to level with her, considering they had both been changed since _it_ happened a short month ago. More or less, they both had some traumatic aftershock. At different extents, perhaps. But she was the only one who could merely relate.

"Hi, Jadey." Viviana sighed in an equally-sugar-coated voice. "Not expecting me?"

"Nope, I'm genuinely surprised." She responded with a calm tone, though through clenched teeth. She turned to Cat. "Cat, wanna talk to me in the hallway?" Not waiting for an answer, she grabbed Cat's arm and pulled her out of the kitchen.

"Why is _she_ here?"

Cat giggled. "She didn't have anything to do, today, so I thought-"

"Tell her to go home."

"Well, no, Jade. She's not hurting anyone."

"Fine," Jade crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "Then _I will_!"

Stomping out of the hallway with a distraught Cat in tow, Jade pushed the swinging kitchen door open, and briefly scanned the room for the girl with the golden eyes. Instead, she found the back of her head, peeking into a book. That particular book happened to be Jade's journal.

Jade cleared her throat loudly. Viviana jumped at the sound and her head snapped up, meeting the burning eyes of the Wicked Witch of the West.

"Good book?"

"Jade, I was just-"

"Snooping into my personal life? I don't find that very admirable." She cut her off and lunged for the book that had mysteriously unlocked without a key in sight. But before she could grab it, it fell to the floor, sliding away from her. Confused and furious, she grabbed at it again, but it only slid further away, as if a sudden gust of wind had blown it away. "What is this?"

Suddenly, Cat was in sight, bending over and picking up the book with ease. She dusted it off (as if there had been any dust, after Viviana somehow pried it open and tore through it like a tornado) and handed it to Jade, now on the floor.

"I..." She stuttered, yanked the book out of Cat's hands, and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, whatever." She mumbled, stomping to her bedroom and sitting on the bed. _Now, _she raked her thoughts as she leafed through the thin pages that had served as her journal for 4 years, _what could she have found?_

Flipping each page to the side, only stopping once to look at the printed vines bordering each page of her life, she searched for anything she could have read or done to her precious book of memories. Finally, she reached the last page that had been written in. Folded between the pages sat a note, with a sort of glow. She stared at it for a moment, before consenting to read it. Unfolding it carefully, as the page was brittle, she examined what had been written on it.

It was in Italian, with the same handwriting as the note Jade and Cat had received a while ago. The words looked familiar, and she gathered all memories from her Italian classes before beginning to decipher it. She could only make out a few words and phrases.

_Affrettatevi! Deve capire se lei sa chi sei!_

_Se lo fa, noi stiamo rovinati! E vi hanno già fallito troppo numerose missioni. Vi terrò il suo diario da lei._

"'Sa lei sa chi sei.' I think that means 'Knows who you are'." She decided, and continued to read. "'Rovinato' means 'Ruined'. 'Missioni' is 'Mission'." She gulped as she read the last line. "And 'Diario' means 'Diaryl'."

"Why on earth would this note be in there? Is Viviana a-" _No._ But she recalled the talent show audition, in that one moment when Viviana's face shone like a... "Light." She finished her thought audibly. "This is impossible. What would she want with my journal? What kind of mission would she be on?" _Slow down, West. You're getting ahead of yourself. First off, you suck at interpreting different languages. Next, it's probably just a joke. The girl hates you, anyway. _But beyond all self-reasoning, she carefully folded the note in half and slid it into her pocket.

"Just relax..." She couldn't believe she'd stooped as low as talking to herself, but she was at an all-time low already. How much worse could it get?

;"*"*"*"*";

Jade returned to the kitchen, with a look that could kill.

Viviana met her eyes and slowly lowered them. "Maybe I should-"

"Go." Jade enunciated almost painfully slow. Viviana nodded and made her way to the door.

Cat looked up at Jade sadly. "She really didn't mean-"

"She was _looking through my journal_!"

Cat stood and walked toward the angered teenager. "Jade, she hadn't realized what it was until she opened it. I'm sure it was an accident, and she didn't harm it-"

"She left a note."

"And she probably found it and – What?" Cat blinked, her eyes resembling those of an owl. "A... note? What's it say, what's it say? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"CAT! I was planning on telling you, believe it or not." She snapped, pulling the note out of her pocket and unfolding it. "It says something about-" But Cat was already reading over her shoulder, aloud.

"'Hurry! You must figure out if she knows who you are! If she does, we are ruined! And you have already failed too many missions. I will keep her journal from her.'" Cat shook her head slowly, her hair swishing left and right. "What are all these notes about?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know they're from her?" She inquired.

"Well, no."

Cat sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright, what do you have against her? She has been _so nice_! I think you're jealous of her talent! You know, I should've noticed how rude you were since the audition-"

Jade was taken aback. "Cat! That is _so_ not the issue, here!"

Cat looked up at her, overwrought expression fully displayed. "I think it is. This could be from my brother, or something. You're turning it into something-"

"_Shut up!_ Do you hear that?" Jade interrupted once again. The room fell silent as both girls listened to the almost-silent air. "Something moved outside!" Jade identified the noise.

Cat grabbed Jade's arm in fright. "It sounds like they're rustling the bushes! You don't think it's a-" She cringed as the words slithered out of her mouth. "Burglar?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "In broad daylight? I doubt it." But they were still anxious. "I'll go check it out. It sounded like it came from the patio. There's a bunch of nice bushes to lurk in." She mumbled as she walked, rather quickly from panic, toward the closest window in range of the patio.

Something wiggled in the bushes. "Oh, my God." She muttered, as she slowly opened the slide-door to the patio. She crept up to the bushes and inspected. "Viviana?"

But suddenly, the girl with the golden eyes was gone. In a flash of light, a flurry of wind, in an instant, Jade had gone from startled to terrified. Suddenly, a large shadow flooded over her, and as she turned, it was as black as the night sky.

"_Don't worry, Jadey. Just stay quiet, and everything will go smoothly..."_

;"*"*"*"*";

**_Click the beautiful blue button down there and tell me what you think!_**

**_Thank you: _**_InfinityForever7 (Where ya been, girl?), Jeremy Shane, Ashyboo02, Sam, LizGilliesFanForever, Spottedwind19, RoxyLily, and jiska for all of your reviews!_

_**And now, I bid you all adeiu! P.S. What would you guys think of Cat, Jade, and Robbie as a team?**_

_****~Songbird341~****_


	5. Abducted

_**Here's the next chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing, everyone! Let's see what happens next...**_

_****~Songbird341~****_

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Victorious, I would be having SO much more fun than I am right now!**

"Jade?"

Cat rose from her seat at the kitchen table after 5 minutes of anxiously waiting for Jade's return. _Where could she be? _She walked cautiously to the glass slide-door that lead to the patio her friend had mysteriously disappeared to. Forcing herself to grasp the handle, she pulled it open and inched outward, waiting for Jade to approach and tell her that it was just a squirrel, in vain. Nothing happened, and that propelled her forward to find her friend.

"What was in the bushes?" Cat called out nervously, crossing her fingers and praying for a response to settle her thumping heart. No sound came to answer her prayers, and she took a shaky breath before continuing her search. "J-Jade?"

She walked around the empty patio, inhaling and exhaling sharply, holding onto her air longer than necessary. Her footsteps seemed loud and harsh in contrast to the quiet whisper of wind outside of the West household. It almost seemed like a sin to intrude on the eerily serene scene. But though it was a still, silent moment, her heart sped with every second spent. Cat wished that something would jump out at her already, that Jade would walk up to her and laugh at her for spooking so easily, just as long as the silence that made her very soul shiver would come to a halt. Unfortunately, she was left to the empty air that deflated the ounce of confidence she had carried outside of the house.

But suddenly, everything changed. The wind picked up, it fell 10 degrees colder, her heartbeat slowed to a steadily slow hammer, and time came to a stop. Though it was still quiet, very quiet, she could hear a faint whisper that numbed her ears with its chilly breath. _"Cat..."_

She froze, fingers shaking at her sides, toes wiggling in her high-tops, hair afloat in the wind that stung her brown eyes with every gust. She wouldn't have heard it anywhere, anytime else. Only then, in that moment, could she hear it against the hushed patio. And it visited her ears once again, like a resounding, incessant echo. _"Cat..."_

The girl squeaked as the sound bounced around the patio, rattling her small being until she fell to the ground with a thud. She wanted to scream, to find Jade and have her wail on whatever it was with her newest, sharpest scissors. But Cat was alone again, like she often found herself in desperate times. _No time for negativity, _she concluded before finding her voice, raspy and hoarse. "W-who are you? Who's there?" She asked, like people always did in the movies Jade made her watch, attempting to sound tougher than she felt.

"_Come closer, Cat..."_

Cat didn't want to submit, but her curiosity overcame her, and she found herself pushing to her feet, inching closer and closer, taking a step with every hot breath that escaped her nostrils, toward the enthralling susurrations emitting from the shadows of the patio awning. "Show yourself!"

"_Closer..."_

"Show yourself!" She repeated, less shakily, trying to be brave.

A dark, ash-colored cloud slowly appeared before her. As it grew nearer, it shifted and and shook before taking shape. It molded and fabricated into a familiar embodiment, a body sans legs, a clouded form with yellow eyes shaped like diamonds. Cat's heart skipped a beat at the sight she remembered all too well, and her feet instinctively backed away, her heart doubly speeding up.

"_You're not getting away this time, Princess..."_

Cat inhaled sharply and tripped, falling backward again, upon which she began crawling backward as the dark figure reached out to her with spindly fingers. "Get away from me!" She screeched, averting her eyes from its hypnotizing gaze, throwing her hand out in a last attempt at surviving. But she watched with wide eyes as the bony fingers wrapped themselves around her thin wrist, and though she couldn't feel them, they restricted her as she tried to wriggle free. The yellow eyes turned bright green as they reconnected with her brown ones, and the shadowed figure's almost invisible mouth twisted into a smile. Suddenly, it threw itself at her, and she screamed as she became shrouded in a flowing ring of fog, dark and enigmatic. She still could not move her wrist, and her heart continued to pound in her chest that rose and fell with every dry breath she took in and let out. The fog spun slowly at first, but quickened and quickened until she felt like a fish in a whirlpool of water that thundered like a rainstorm. The patio, the neighborhood, the whole world faded away from behind the thick murk that had overtaken her vision. The spinning haze rendered her dizzy until her eyes fell closed and her head throbbed. _Please stop..._ She inwardly begged the beast that held her captive in its mist, but to no avail. It only spun faster and faster until everything faded and where she was became only a mystery.

;*"*"*"*"*;

_Where am I?_

Jade had finally found the strength to open her eyes, but it hadn't made a difference to the darkness that lay behind her closed eyelids. It was dark. Everything before her, everything behind her, everything on either side of her was dark and quiet. She couldn't figure anything about her place or position, only the fact that she couldn't see and that she was tied to a chair. She had been unconscious for who knew how long, and anything could've happened in the time lapsed in thoughtless, empty unawareness.

She strained every muscle in her body to even shake in her bindings, but to no avail. She wiggled her fingers to feel the chair, to make any sense if she was even alive or not, and found the smooth threads of the chair upon which she was seated against her will. It wasn't Cat's furniture, certainly not her own, and she concluded that she wasn't among familiar surroundings. So where could she have been taken?

Suddenly, she recollected bits and pieces of the past experiences she'd taken part in. The last she remembered was seeing Viviana among the bushes, then it all blurred. _This must have something to do with her_. Jade knew the moment she'd met the strange girl that something was wrong; however, kidnapping was something she had not expected.

_Thud, thud, thud..._

Jade straightened up and listened to the sound. _Footsteps._ "Alright, you can come out now!" She shouted impatiently, disliking the secrecy and and suspense that she could easily live without. "I'm not afraid of you!"

"_Really, Jade?"_

Jade shivered as the voice penetrated the stillness of the dark room, but regained composure quickly. "Who are you, and how do you know my name?" She demanded quietly.

"_Oh, believe me, how I know your name is the least of your concerns..."_ The stranger chuckled.

"Enough of the enigma, just show yourself!" She moaned.

"_If you insist..._"

And Jade watched in horror as the creature slithered out of the darkness into a small light. The shadowed figure was eerily familiar to her, and she instantly recognized what the beast was. _A Shadow..._

"What do you want with me?" She asked breathlessly, still dazed by the monster's presence.

"_Oh, that's a simple matter, my dear. One that will be revealed to you in good time..." _It whispered heavily, the sound traveling through the darkness and straight into her ears, filling her head as it bounced around between her ears.

She shook her head, and an awful thought crossed her mind. "What have you done with Cat?"

"_Hm,"_ The Shadow chuckled. _"We've got your friend tucked away, safe and sound. Don't you worry your pretty little mind about that..."_

;*"*"*"*"*";

_Falling... Falling and falling and falling... _

_Help me! Someone help me! I can't stop! Spinning, spinning..._

_What's going on? I can't see, I can't breathe! Upside down, spinning, falling..._

_Colors... Wild, flashing colors... Count them. Red, Yellow, Green, Brown. Scarlet, Black, Aqua, Peach, Ruby, Mauve, Magenta... Faster, faster, faster..._

_Windy, dusty, dirty... Dust in my eyes! It burns, it burns! Where is Jade? Why won't someone help me?_

_Where am I, anyway?_

_So cold! I'm freezing! Can't move... _

_Now hot! Burning, blazing hot! And is that... a flame?_

_Coming closer... Don't burn me! Agh, hot! Burning hot!_

_Wait, I see something... Ground... The ground... It's coming at me!_

_Spinning, spinning, fading..._

_Thud._

_Pain. Blurring, dizzy pain... Can't breathe... Must breathe..._

_Maybe I should just close my eyes... _

_No, don't! It's a trap!_

_But I'm so... tired..._

;*"*"*"*"*;

_**What will happen next? Where is Cat? What do these Shadows want with Jade and Cat? What will they do with them? Will the girls escape? Let's wait and see!**_

_**Thanks for reading and reviewing the last chapter: **Jiska and Jeremy Shane :)_

_****~Songbird341~****_


	6. Unlikely Rescue

_**Ello! Thanks for reviewing, and here's the next chapter :)**_

_****~Songbird341~****_

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, except for Viviana and the Shadows.**

"Tell me where Cat is!" Jade demanded, leaning forward against the ropes tied taut around her midriff and arms, in an attempt to seem intimidating, though she knew that there was only one being in the room that would intimidate. Still, she wiggled and grunted in her bindings as she shouted, "Where is she?"

"_I'm afraid I can't answer that, Giada. You'll have to mull it over a little while longer,"_ the creature chuckled as he made his way out of the light. Jade squinted her eyes until she could make out the yellow glowing of his eyes amidst the darkness that shrouded them. _"Nighty-night..."_

Suddenly, the eyes disappeared, and Jade knew that she was alone in the drafty, bone-chilling room with no light whatsoever. She tried to wriggle out of the ropes, but they were unbreakable. "Ugh!" She growled, trying to examine her chaffed wrists without any light to accompany them. _Where could Cat be?_ She wondered, racking her brain for any form of escape or contact with civilization she could perform. Her hands felt around her waist for her pants' pockets, and found that someone had taken her cell phone. _Figures._

"Now how am I getting out of this one?" she asked herself, trying in vain to see anything at all. Jade came to a quick realization: they could be watching her this very second. What could she do?

;*"*"*"*"*;

_Wh-where am I?_

Cat tried to blink her eyes open, but the pain behind them and all around them was too unbearable. She tried to move a muscle, any muscle, but to no avail. Everything she stirred, shifted, shook, felt numb. She finally decided that wherever she was, she was hurt badly, and needed medical attention. The only things she could move were her feet, which she used to feel the surface of the ground beneath her. She slid them across the floor and took note of the rough, bumpy exterior. It was a cold type of stone, but it didn't feel as solid as Jade's patio's stone had. It felt hollow, as if there was another room under it. She turned her head weakly and pressed her ear against the dirty ground, trying to hear if there was any activity anywhere. She didn't hear any footsteps, nor any voices, not even any whispers.

What had happened? She couldn't remember anything that had happened prior to falling unconscious. All she could recollect was going over to Jade's house and-

"Cat? Are you awake?"

Cat's head shot up, sending a painful shock and a shiver down her bruised spine. She couldn't match the voice to a face, for only a dim, blue light shone around the room. She laid her head back down and wondered if she had imagined it.

But it came again. "Cat, wake up..."

She finally found her voice amongst all the fear and foreboding that clouded her thoughts. "Who are you?" she whimpered, chewing on her lip until it, too, ached in synch with the rest of her being. "What do you want?"

Suddenly, the owner of the voice stepped forward. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm your friend." A female voice whispered. Cat shook her head.

"Leave me alone! Please, just go away!" She shrieked, traumatized by her unfamiliar surroundings and forgotten happenings. The girl just walked closer. "Please go away..." Cat mumbled, shutting her eyes and cringing, trying to shake away the reality that she was captured again. _Please, just be a dream!_

"Cat," the voice chided. "just open your eyes."

Cat obeyed in reverence to her captor. She watched in awe as the person stepped closer, to a point where Cat could see her face. "Viviana?"

Surely enough, before her stood the reddish-brown hair, the golden eyes, the pale skin, the glowing appearance that made a large contrast to the dimly-lit room that the two girls were engulfed in. The girl's eyes pierced Cat's brown eyes, and they locked gazes for a few moments. The fear and worry melted into confusion and shock in her big eyes, and she could only stare with her mouth open, wordless and thoughtless.

"Surprised?" Viviana asked. Cat nodded hollowly. The girl walked closed to her and helped her to her feet, noticing her weak stature. "What hurts?" She asked the shorter girl.

"Everything," Cat groaned, rubbing her neck. "What happened?"

"Can you walk?"

"I think so."

"Then follow me," Viviana grabbed Cat's arm gently and urged her to run with her.

Cat followed, legs already aching, as the girl found a corridor and lead her up some stairs, then through winding halls. "What happened?" she repeated.

"Wait until we get out of here. I don't feel too comfortable." Viviana told her while climbing over some rubble. The whole building had the same bluish tint, and it looked almost like a demolished temple or something. Everything was in shambles, and the long stone floors were mossy and damp.

"Can you at least tell me why we're here?" Cat pleaded, struggling to keep up with her friend's quick pace.

"Okay, fine," Viviana conceded, gripping her wrist more tightly as they jumped over a pile of debris. Without stopping or turning to face Cat, she explained. "The Cimmerians captured you and your friend, Jade. I managed to free you, and took you here," She paused and gestured to the ruins around them. "An old Cimmerian temple, abandoned after– well, anyway. Jade is still held captive, and we're gonna go save her. That enough?" She asked.

"C-Cimmerian? What's that?"

"Those dark creatures. Come on, I know you've seen them. They look like, uh, shadows?" She saw the recognition in her eyes. "Anything else?"

"Um, why are we running? And where's Jade? And what do they want from us? And-"

"Whoa, slow your roll, there, kid." Viviana interrupted her, while stopping at a corner, peering around it, and decided it was safe. "First, we're running because though it's bursting at the seams, this temple is still inhabited by a few Cimmerians, and they've noticed us. Next, Jade is in a temple, hidden on an island in the middle of the ocean, and we're gonna go there."

"Okay," Cat squeaked. "how?"

Viviana looked at her like she was crazy, and though Cat was familiar with this expression, it startled her. "The door."

Cat shook her head in confusion. "There's no door between Los Angeles and a hidden island temple." she said, matter-of-factly. Viviana laughed and rolled her eyes.

"No, not directly. But you're gonna make one." She told her nonchalantly.

Suddenly, the wall to their left collapsed, and the wreckage fell inches from them. Cat screamed and fled the other direction, escaping Viviana's grasp. The girl looked at Cat and ran to her, grabbing her wrist again, firmly. "Well, there's our last hope of escaping unnoticed! Try to refrain from shattering the rest of the building with any more screams, okay?"

"What do you mean, I'm gonna make a door? I'm not a carpenter, or anything." Cat asked, feeling puzzled. Viviana looked back at her incredulously.

They reached a dead end of the long corridor. "A dead end. What do we do?" Cat asked, her voice merely a whisper.

"What do we-?" Viviana's face fell into her hand. "You mean you _don't_ understand?" Cat shook her head. "You're gonna use your powers to make a door, which will lead to the secret island."

Cat's eyes widened. "W-what powers?" She asked, and Viviana's face fell into further signs of disappointment.

"You haven't even used your powers?" Cat shook her head. "So, I'm guessing you don't know how to make doors?" Another silent shake of the head. Viviana sighed. "Give me something to work with, here," she mumbled.

"Can you at least _try_ something?" she asked desperately.

"Well, I guess..." Cat said uneasily. "Do I, like, put my hands out or-" She did a few weird things with her hands, until Viviana pushed them down.

"Just focus all of your energy on the wall. Good," she observed, nodding her head. "Now, picture in your head, an island, with a huge temple on it, and long stairs leading up to the small door." She looked at her. "Now, reach a hand out and try to shoot that energy all the way through your finger-"

Cat flung her arm out and an electric beam shot out of her hand, bouncing off the walls. Viviana struggled to avoid the rebounding light, and made her way toward Cat, pushing her arm down and cutting off the light streaming from it. Cat stared in shock at her own fingers, curling and straightening them.

Viviana recovered from the adrenaline rush, and let herself breathe again. "Okay, um, good, yeah. That's good. Just, um, try again and, uh be a little more– careful. Okay?" She said breathlessly. Cat nodded slightly, and took a deep breath.

Slowly, she lifted her arm again and closed her eyes. She opened them and stared at the wall, and counted under her breath. "Three, two..."

"You can do this."

"...One."

;*"*"*"*"*;

_55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60._

"There's another minute." Jade muttered as she scratched another notch in the wooden bottom of the chair. "So, what, at least 3 hours, now?" She silently counted each notch with her fingers, but gave up after 20. Three hours of doing just that was starting to unnerve her. But counting the seconds was all she could do, at this point.

"This is so boring..." She mumbled, though she could've easily said that in her mind. Her mental health had gotten to the low point of needing to hear her own voice, to assure that she was alive. All she could do was talk to herself and carve notches in the chair. How she even managed to get 180 on just the sides, she wouldn't know. She wasn't even sure there were 180. She could've fallen asleep or totally forgotten what she was doing somewhere in the middle. "Someone, just put an _end_ to this!"

"_I think I can manage that."_

Again, with the sneaking up! It was driving Jade crazy. "Who are you?" She asked for the third time since her first encounter with this creature. _If this is even the same one._ _They all look the same._

The Shadow appeared before her once more, standing in a dim light, its yellow eyes twinkling with delight. _"There's someone who would like to meet you, Jadelyn."_ he whispered. _Or is it a he?_

Jade stared into his eyes indifferently. "Who, pray tell, could want to speak with me?" She asked tirelessly, voice accompanied by a smirk. The Shadow's eyes narrowed, and he stepped aside as another Shadow, actually shaped like a human, walked up.

"_Hello, Young One. I am the great Lord Ombra."_ He looked at her with red eyes, tapping his dark foot, as if he was expecting her to bow, or something. He was tall, with a broad chin and sunken eyes, like a man after a sleepless nights. _And are those... snakes?_ On either side of him, a snake sat, coiled up in a few sets of hoops, hissing with shadowed tongues at Jade, who looked at them disgusted.

"_You're_ a great Lord?" She asked incredulously, chuckling as though she were far more confident than she really felt. She gestured toward the two serpents. "Are those your siblings?"

He just laughed, glancing at the creature next to him. _"You're right. Very excitable. Quite."_ He stared her down, as if she were some puzzle in need of solving.

Jade glared up at him, wishing more and more that she could break away from her bindings. "What do you want with me, O Great One?" She said mockingly, earning another hiss from the serpents. Lord Ombra looked at her, smiling, and responded swiftly.

"_There's darkness in her, yet."_ He chortled, but his face soon grew serious. _"I'd like to have a chat with you, about some 'Dark' business in order. Tenebre! Portami la Polvere!" _He shouted at the Shadow that had introduced him. It scurried off, and not moments later, returned with a small, gray vial filled with some sort of powder. He presented it to Ombra and backed away.

Taking the vial in his hands, he rolled it around, threw it in the air and caught it, pouring the contents into his dark hands. _"Prepare yourself, Giada. We wouldn't want this,"_ He lifted his outstretched hand up to his lips and blew, sending the dark dust into clouds, billowing around him. _"to stifle your breath."_

;*"*"*"*"*;

_**Thanks for reading! Please review to inspire me to write some more! I'm almost caught up to what I've already written, so I better jump on it!**_

**_**~Songbird341~**_**


	7. Through the Door

**DISCLAIMER: Dan Schneider owns Victorious. Watch any episode, it's there, clear as day: Created by Dan Schneider. Don't question it.**

;*"*"*"*"*;

_One._

Suddenly, light poured into the wall with such a force that, if Cat hadn't been connected to it in some sort of magical bond, she would've fell to the floor. She stared in awe as the beam of brightness filled the void of the dead end, and she instinctively guided the surge of light to trace the shape of a door. The image of an island flickered before her eyes, just as she had envisioned it: full of densely packed trees with thick branches, mossy and grassy, seemingly uninhabited. But then, a flash of gold pierced the very heart of the island, and she began to make out a golden temple. Covered with thick vines, the old temple was hardly a luxury. She had expected more from a Shadow– oops, _Cimmerian_ temple. _Perhaps this is the wrong temple..._

But the large stairs appeared, one by one, slowly making a path to the door of the temple that held Jade captive.

_What was that?_

Something rumbled distantly, and the floor beneath them began to shake. Cat's hand shook, but she didn't dare move it away as the stairs still formed. She willed them to hurry, her fingertips shaking in angst. She exchanged glances with Viviana, who looked just as worried as she. The rumbling continued, and with every breath Cat took, the stairs seemed to slow ever more.

Viviana wanted to scream "HURRY!" but restrained herself, knowing that if she broke the silence, Cat's concentration could shatter, and the door would disappear, cease to exist. All she could do was chew on her lip and wait. But the thundering noise grew louder, and the floor shook more. The stairs were slowly unraveling, like a spool of thread, weaving the picture of safety.

Suddenly, a loud crack pounded in the large corridor, and the walls began to tremble. Cat almost shrieked as the left wall caved and crumbled at their feet, just shy of crushing them on their feet. _Please hurry!_ Cat shouted inwardly as the stairs slowly formed. The right wall was beginning to tremor, and just as the stairs finished, the wall fell. Cat had dropped her hand and jumped out of the way in an instant, Viviana close behind. They stared at the glowing picture on the wall, and Cat reached out to touch it. Her finger didn't stop at the wall, but rather, went straight through. She wiggled the small finger in the void beyond the wall, and felt a small breeze against the tip of it.

The girls were momentarily entranced, but Viviana snapped out of it as the ceiling began to succuss. She pushed Cat through the wall and followed her. The second they escaped, the ceiling collapsed behind them.

;*"*"*"*"*;

Jade coughed and wheezed as the Shadow blew the dark dust into her eyes. It billowed into dark, puffy clouds around her, stinging her eyes and inflaming her nostrils. But when the fog cleared, the room was pitch-black. _Again?_ She was so sick of being left in the dark.

But suddenly, a small puff of smoke erupted in the air, and as it lifted, a flame appeared. It danced and whirled before her eyes, getting so close that she felt the warmth it radiated, and it almost singed the tips of her black tresses. She stared in awe as it flickered and wheeled, growing neared and nearer. Her eyes grew wide as she tried in vain to blow it out. It only grew brighter.

It slowly began tracing lines in the air, leaving behind a trail of smaller flames, forming words. She read them silently. _G-I-A-D-A._ _That's Jade in Italian_, she concluded. As soon as the word took form, the flames conjoined and made a trail of burning fire, floating in the air and wavering like a flag. The word flashed multiple times, then disappeared. Suddenly, the fire reappeared, forming a hollow square, like a television screen.

Pictures flashed before her eyes; pictures of her past. When she was a child up to the time when she had been captured by that Shadow, Marcus Trindle. She was taken aback at the sight of her dark eyes, and her skin's overall grayish tint. At first, it looked awful, and she was horrified at her almost-zombified form.

But it gradually became normal to her, and then it almost seemed attractive. Like a nice look for her. And what was worse: compared to all of her previous pictures, this Jade looked more content.

"_Doesn't that Jade seem more, say, correct?"_ That familiar voice hissed sinisterly. _"You were much more satisfied there. Your body fed off the dark energy pulsing through it. Didn't you enjoy it? Didn't you feel so at home?" _

"What do you mean?" Jade pushed away the thoughts attempting to creep into her mind, and sat taller as the images disappeared.

"_You know, you look more comfortable when you embrace your inner darkness..."_

She finally found his eery eyes and stared straight into them without faltering. "I see what you're doing."

"_But Giada,"_ He began, reaching a hand out, palm upward. She eyes it suspiciously, as a diamond appeared. _"It's all so simple..."_

She didn't look away from the gem. Why was it so familiar? "What are you saying?"

He smiled evilly at her. _"If you want to be happy, and take your _true_ form, all you have to do is cast out the real Light inside. It can go into this diamond here, and then you will be completely Cimmerian."_

"Cimmerian?"

He chuckled. _"Why, what I am." _He turned around as if to show off. _"A being of darkness, of the shadows..."_

She looked up at him scrutinizingly. "What will happen?"

He wasn't surprised in the least that she was in consideration. _"All that will be done is you will lose your Light. Your inner light will exit your body and be kept in this diamond. You can always retrieve it if you'd so choose."_ He tempted. _"Your body will remain, but you will be slightly darker than usual, as will your soul be. You'll be your __**true self**__. And in no more danger of our people."_

The last line caught her attention. "You mean, this could all be over? All _this?_"

He nodded. _"Yes. Like I said; it's all too simple..."_

Jade found herself reaching for the gem, against her will, but then, in spite of it. Her own mind battled itself, one side begging her to grab it, one telling her not to. _It's a trap, don't do it! But if it could change everything..._

"Stop!"

Both the Cimmerian and the teenager turned to the sound. Their eyes were blinded by a bright light that shone like the sun, growing closer and closer...

;*"*"*"*"*;

_**Thanks for reading! Sorry for not writing this sooner! Now, please click that perfect little Review button down there...**_

_****~Songbird341~****_


	8. Strange Release

_**I'm back and updating! Did you miss me? (stares at like Dora waiting for answer)**_

_**No?**_

_**Ouch.**_

_**Anyway, I plan on updating much more often this summer, so look out! **_

_**And without much else to say, here's the next chapter!**_

_****~Songbird341~****_

**DISCLAIMER: Three words, seven letters, one apostrophe, totally depressing. DON'T OWN.**

;*"*"*"*"*;

"Stop!"

Both the Cimmerian and the teenager turned to the sound. Their eyes were blinded by a bright light that shone like the sun, growing closer and closer...

"Cat!"

The glowing being did look very much like Caterina Valentine, though with a few differences. Her skin was glowing almost-blindingly, and Jade found it hard to look at her for very long. The longer she stared, the brighter she became. Her eyes were lit up, as if a flame burned behind her chocolate-brown orbs. And from her hands shone beams of light, demolishing the floor of the temple at which they were directed.

And next to her... "Viviana..." The reddish-brunette didn't even glance at Jade; she kept her fiery-golden eyes locked on Lord Ombra.

The shadows that had been accompanying Ombra, once concealed by the darkness that no longer shrouded them, shrieked in terror and fled, disappearing into thin air. Lord Ombra shouted, _"A messenger of the Luminescents! Ha!" _He smirked at the girl and whispered, _"Qual è il tuo business con queste ragazze?"_

Jade couldn't catch enough of that to try and translate, though she doubted she could if she had. Viviana obviously understood, responding with _"Restituire le ragazze a me e non ci sarà nessun conseguenze." _Jade guessed this came out to something like "Return the girls and there will be no problems."

Lord Ombra chuckled to himself and whispered something else into his palm, electing a smoke to rise from his palm. _Right. More fog. _

But this fog did more than cloud memories. It seeped right through the air and found itself in front of Cat's face. Before anyone could react, Cat inhaled the thick smoke and consequently fell to her knees, hacking and coughing. "Cat!" Jade shouted, pulling against her restraints and wishing curses upon the sick being that invented a rope so strong. She turned back to Ombra and watched helplessly as he poised his hand for another puff.

"_Stop your games, Ombra." _Viviana growled seriously. _"You have no use for them as of now."_

"_Oh really?" _Ombra disposed of the dust in his palm with a flourish of his hand. _"Why not?"_

"_They are not aware of the power they possess," _Viviana reasoned. _Power? _Jade asked herself. _What are they even talking about?_

Ombra chuckled. _"Fine. Take them off my hands, will you?" _With a twist of his wrist, Jade was freed from her bindings, exposing burns on her arms from the rope's wearing. Jade brushed herself off and stood, stumbling over to Cat to help her up. _"I suppose they're of no use to me until they're properly trained. But I'll get them back when it matters. I always do." _Ombra threatened.

"_You'd be surprised, Ombra. "Always" is a very undependable word." _Viviana countered.

"_We'll wait and see, won't we? Now..." _He removes a precarious weapon from the only corners of darkness in the room and whispers sadistically, _"Run, kiddies." _

And with that, he struck the wall three times, causing a large gust of water to spew forth from the old temple wall. Aware that there was foul play intended, Jade and Cat stumble to their feet, ready to run. But when they turned around, there was no door. Instead, the wall had caved in, leaving no opening to be found. They whipped back around to find that Lord Ombra was gone.

"Oh my god!" Jade shouted, her voice echoing around the room and inducing her own headache. "He trapped us in here!"

"Viviana!" Cat turned to the being. "You're a Light? !"

"A Luminescent, actually," Viviana corrected. "But we've got bigger problems as of now."

"Heck yes, we do!" Jade screeched. "How are we getting out? We're gonna drown!"

Cat's eyes widened, full realization of the fatal situation they were in. "Vivi, how do we get out? ! Do something!"

"Vivi? Oh, so now she has a nickname?" Jade snapped jealously, kicking the wall.

Viviana rolled her eyes as she tried to push the caved-in rocks out of the way. "Could you PLEASE stop being such a child?"

"Do something! Aren't you magic or something?"

Viviana sighed. "It's not 'magic', and we can't do anything without a light source!"

Jade ran over the water spout and tried to block it with her raw hands, but water just spurted out around her palms. "Well, that's conven- we? Who's "we"?"

"Me and Cat."

Jade stopped working, feeling the water pool at the bottom of her jeans, filling the room. "Cat? You- and – WHAT?"

Cat grabbed a spoon from her pocket and started trying to dig. No telling why she had a spoon in her pocket... "I learned how to use Light- woops! I mean, _Luminescent_ powers."

Viviana interrupted Jade's next sentence with reasoning. "How about we talk about this when our lives _aren't_ in danger?"

"Well what are we supposed to do? !" Cat shrieked. "We have no light!"

Jade was still trying to block the water when an idea hit her. "I have a flashlight!"

"A flashlight?" Cat repeats.

"Yes, Cat, you heard me perfectly!" Jade sassed. "Now will it help or not?"

"_Yes! _Yes, it will help!" Viviana said loudly. "Give it here!" Viviana snatched it from Jade and looked for the switch. She found it and turned it on, examining the light. "It's enough! Cat, c'mere!"

"Why don't you do it?" Cat asked nervously as the water level in the room rose to their knees.

Viviana exhaled angrily and urged Cat toward her. "Let's just say, I was under probation from the higher-ups, and I kinda got my powers confiscated. That enough of an excuse?" Cat nodded, and Viviana dragged her into the light. "Now, use this, and just do what you did earlier, okay?"

"She's done this _before_?" Jade cried, the water now lapping at her hips. _How much did I miss?_

"Yes, now hush! You'll break her concentration!" Viviana backed away from Cat as she closed her eyes, preparing to use her "magic".

Cat froze completely in place, staying there for very long. Jade wondered if she was asleep from time to time, but eventually, Cat opened her eyes. They both watched as the fire returned to Cat's brown eyes, her lips sliding back and forth under her nervous teeth. She reached out a hand slowly, keeping it a distance from her body. She stared at the caved-in wall and exhaled shakily. She blinked once... twice...

And suddenly, a large boom shoved Jade and Viviana against the far wall, as a large beam of light shot out of Cat's hand, flying into the wall. "It's slower," Viviana whisperes, glancing at the flashlight.

"What are you talking about? !" Jade whispered incredulously, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight. How could _that_ be slow?

"The flashlight isn't enough. It's slowing her down." She said simply, staring at the short girl with red hair. "Hopefully she can do this in time," she mumbled, glancing at the water that was rising to their midriffs now.

The light was slowly forming something in the wall; something square at the bottom but round at the top. Like a doorway... _A door?_ But Jade dared not question it, not wanting to break Cat's concentration and get them all killed.

Viviana was right; it seemed to be moving quite slowly. But Cat remained locked onto the light, forming it into a doorway that could save them all. It was very silent, except for the sound of water rising to their shoulders, and the sound of the chair Jade had been tied to breaking against the ceiling. _Brittle thing. How could I be trapped in that?_

"Where are we going?" Cat asked briefly, almost a whisper behind the rush of water.

"Wherever we can be safe, Cat..." Jade whispered, her voice hoarse.

Cat took the instruction with a new burst of energy, the light pushing faster and faster into nothing to create something. The door was almost ready, but the water was up to their chins now, and Jade was struggling to stay afloat while trying not to hit her head on the ceiling. The room seemed much smaller than it had minutes ago, and the oxygen was so little now.

Eventually, they were flooded with water. Jade and Viviana gasped for one last breath before plunging into the water, but Cat remained in place, steadfast on creating their escape. Jade held her breath as time seemed to be running out, and not just because they were underwater. Her eyes burned as she stared at Cat, who was almost finished...

"_There! _Get in!" Cat seemed to shout into the water, but it was all a bubbly mess. She realized she was underwater and pinched her nose, grabbing Jade's hand. Viviana grabbed Jade's other hand, and they all pushed as fast as they could to swim through the doorway. Jade didn't even have enough time to see where they were going; she just had to get out alive.

;*"*"*"*"*;

_**Wow! So he just let them go? **_

_**Now they're stuck wherever Cat thought was safe... I fear for Jade's sanity now.**_

_**Will Jade get her own powers, too? Only one way to find out! REVIEW! Or... COMMENT, I guess!**_

_****~Songbird341~****_

_Follow me on Twitter! I'm at-"TheSongbird341"! Follow to find out when I'm updating, tweet me, or read some funny quotes if you're bored :)_


	9. Gilligan's Island

_**Whoo!**_

_**Updating again :) Feels good.**_

_**By the way, make sure to check out my fanfic, Victorious Chat Room! It's some of my best humorous work, so I would love for y'all to check it out if you haven't already :D**_

_**Well, without much more to say, here we go!**_

_****~Songbird341~****_

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters (except for Viviana), but I do own the plot. I also don't own an alpaca, but you don't care about that, do you?**

;*"*"*"*"*;

_"There! Get in!" Cat seemed to shout into the water, but it was all a bubbly mess. She realized she was underwater and pinched her nose, grabbing Jade's hand. Viviana grabbed Jade's other hand, and they all pushed as fast as they could to swim through the doorway. Jade didn't even have enough time to see where they were going; she just had to get out alive._

A bright white light _**(the author wishes to point out her amazing rhyming skills xD) **_blinded Jade temporarily as she trailed behind Cat, going only by the feel of Cat's hand and the sound of water rushing, until sound seemed to disappear along with vision. They seemed to be suspended in mid-air for a moment, until Jade was sure she was either dead or dreaming. She scrunched her eyes closed, the brightness becoming too much to bear, until an overwhelming peace overcame them all, flowing and crashing like the ocean. Everything seemed to fall still, leaving Jade with time to think but without thoughts.

Eventually, the light faded and Jade dared to open her eyes, shifting her gaze around. She could only see Cat's hand around her wrist and a thick fog, until it began to clear. Her eyes watered at the wind slapping her face, but she kept them open so she could see where on earth- or elsewhere -she was going.

Picture began to appear before their eyes, and she examined her surroundings. A vast blue ocean with white foam and large waves, under a cloudless blue sky. _So far, so good._ Jade told herself.

Slowly, a pinkish dot grew in the center of the water, taking the shape of an oval. Jade squinted to see what the dot was, but it eventually grew close enough to be seen without aid of squinted eyelids. _An island?_

That was exactly correct. An oval-shaped island with pinkish-yellow sand skirting it was growing neared and nearer. Jade scrutinized the leafy jungle on the inside of the island, wondering why on _earth_ Cat Valentine thought _this place_ was a good place. She could've taken them home, or to a police station, or something better! Why a deserted island?

But realization hit Jade sooner than the water did; they were falling.

Soon, the already-wet Jade, Cat, and Viviana, splashed into the ocean without warning, only half-aware of what went on. Jade sputtered and screamed underwater, unwittingly wasting all of her air. Cat let out a squeak, releasing a chain of bubbles and causing her to giggle, so she was out of air as well. Therefore, Viviana was the only preserved one left. The girl grabbed Jade and Cat's hands, leading them to the island. All Jade could do was push through the water and watch the other two with stinging eyes.

She noticed that Viviana's hair and Cat's looked strikingly similar underwater, while her own was too dark to match. Viviana's face was set in a firm determination, her lips pressed together, golden eyes unmoving, while her hair billowed and waved around her in the water. Cat's hair did similar tricks, but her visage was more of the worried type, lips puffed out in a pouty frown and eyebrows wrought together in an anxious slant. Jade had to wonder what _she _looked like, eyeliner most likely floating up in black clouds around her, hair shrouding her face, pupils dilated and bluish-green eyes probably emotionless. She was a sorry sight compared to the other two, she decided.

They were nearing the island when Jade's head started to feel light, as her need for oxygen increased more and more. She struggled to keep her vision forward when everything in her begged her to close her eyes. Her lungs seemed to collapse within her, sending shooting pains up from her chest to her throat. She turned to her right to see if Cat was having the same issue, when the color drained her face.

Cat was unconscious.

Jade opened her mouth and tried to force out a breathless cry for help, managing no sound at all. Without time and needing Viviana's attention, she did the only thing she could think of: she popped her fingers.

It sounded odd to think of it, but she remembered a time when she was younger, in the pool with her sister, Lydia, playing tea part underwater. She'd popped her finger underwater, and it sent a large popping sound throughout the water, getting Lydia's attention immediately. She'd remembered that trick ever since, and it was her only idea left, since Viviana would not respond to her pushes and touches. She positioned her left thumb above her index finger and pushed down, giving it a pop and inducing a large _crack!_ sound. Viviana instantly turned her head around, wondering what the sound was.

Jade pointed to Cat urgently, trying not to exert too much energy, as her vision was dimming and growing blurry, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Viviana caught the hint and saw Cat, floating around in the water, eyes closed, lips parted. Her eyes widened and she grabbed Cat's other hand, releasing Jade's and leaving her to fend for herself. Jade pushed forward, following Viviana, sparing one glance upward. Just as she'd thought.

The reason Viviana wouldn't surface was the fact that there _was_ no surface; well, a visible one. They were so far down, Viviana wouldn't be able to carry them upward as easily as she could just make a run for the island. Jade grabbed Cat's arm and linked it around hers, helping Viviana and pushing forward. Fortunately, she'd been a competitive swimmer and learned how to hold her breath. Her record was two minutes, but even that felt like two hours. She was slipping into unconsciousness, but she knew that Viviana couldn't carry them both, so she pushed on with only sheer will as her fuel.

Eventually, light grew closer, signaling the island was near. Jade was losing her drive, voices in her head telling her that she needed to rest, to just close her eyes and fall asleep...

_Crack!_

Jade's almost-closed eyes snapped open and found Viviana glancing back at her with her popped-finger in the air. She smirked back at her and turned back forward, suddenly changing her direction to a diagonal upward-and-forward exertion. Jade feigned a smile at the girl's wit, although she still felt too tired to push with her arm. Instead, she kicked with her feet, the weight of her dry lungs and Cat's limp body getting to her. They were so close... Almost there...

Finally, with a rush of shock, they surfaced at the base of the island. Both of the conscious girls let out a desperate gasp, inhaling air as if they never would again, their hearts pounding and their lungs cramping. Jade didn't care about the shooting pain of a first breath; she was so relieved. She'd made it; they'd made it. Her rejoicing had almost wiped the memory of Cat away.

But she all-too-quickly recollected her friends dire state and worked with Viviana to pull her out of the water. She grabbed her wrists while the reddish-brunette grabbed her ankles, pulling her to shore. Without examining their surroundings, they sprawled Cat out on the sand and fell down next to her. Without a word, Viviana began compressing Cat's chest, pumping the water out of her system.

Eventually, Cat coughed up the water she'd breathed in, hacking and doubling over as she took in all the sweet oxygen. She inhaled the salty air through her nose and panted out the excess, her hand flying to her heart in shock. She stared at the sand for a while before looking up at Jade. "What happened?"

Jade smirked humorlessly, brushing the sand off Cat's shoulders, knowing she would complain of the itching later. "You passed out in the water."

"Why did you think _this_ was a safe place, Cat?"

Cat recognized Viviana's voice and turned to her, still coughing. "What do you mean?"

Jade sighed. "You brought us here, Cat. Why?"

She raised an eyebrow in confusion, but it came back to her. "Oh, right! Well, I was thinking of Gilligan's island, because I loved that show, and-"

"_GILLIGAN'S ISLAND?"_

Viviana's head snapped toward Jade and she scowled at her. "Maybe she would have done _better_ if you'd stayed quiet!"

Jade's eyes widened. "OH! So it's _my_ fault that Cat messed up her _magic door_, just because I freaked a _little_ about the whole situation? I'm pretty sure I was _entitled to freak out _a little!"

Viviana sighed and rolled her eyes, turning to Cat. "Sorry about exerting you like that. Forgot you were new to the whole _Luminescent _thing." Cat nodded, though eyes still looking groggy.

"So, what do we do now?"

The question stumped them all. Very good question.

Viviana looked around. "Looks like we're pretty secluded from everyone else. Good place to train you guys."

Jade stared at her. "_Train _us? For what?"

She turned to Jade and said simply, "For the coming battle, of course."

;*"*"*"*"*;

_**Ooh... Yikes. Jade isn't taking this well, and she isn't getting along with Viviana well, is she?**_

_**And WHAT? The COMING BATTLE? Where have we heard this before?**_

_**Thanks for reviewing the last few chapters: **InfinityForever7, Irshgirl, Jiska5, LoveTheBade, and Jeremy Shane!_

_**BTW, I've heard some people want a worried Beck and Robbie scene, so I'll be preparing that for the next chap, okay?**_

_****~Songbird341~****_


	10. A Hole in the Sand

_**Not much to say, except here's another chapter! Enjoy!**_

_****~Songbird341~****_

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own it :(**

;*"*"*"*"*;

_Jade stared at her. "Train us? For what?"_

_She turned to Jade and said simply, "For the coming battle, of course."_

_What? _Jade and Cat looked at each other, brows furrowed and eyes wide. "What do you mean?" Cat ventured to ask, her voice shaky.

Viviana eyed them carefully. "You mean, you don't know?"

Jade sighed. "No! No, we don't know, 'Viviana'; if that's even your real name!" Cat laid a hand on her arm, but Jade shook it off, walking closer to "Viviana". "We have _no_ idea what you want with us! And frankly, I don't really care! I just wanna get off this island, away from you two, and stop this whole nightmare we're living in!" She turned and walked away angrily, not exactly knowing where she was going. _I just want to get lost. Then I won't have to deal with them._

Over her shoulder, she heard Cat whisper "That's just Jade. I'm sure she'll come around."

Viviana didn't like this assurance. "I can't take my chances."

_What does that mean?_

Suddenly, Jade froze in place. _What's going on? _Jade tried to walk forward, but couldn't move a muscle. She felt something pushing back on her limbs, like a great wind. Being Jade, she only took this as a challenge and pushed harder, but her legs grew tired and she stopped. "Viviana, whatever weird thing you're pulling on me, you'd better cut it out." She turned her head, craning her neck to look at the girl restraining her without touching her.

Viviana shook her head, tightening her fists. "I've been sent to train you two. _Both _of you." She looked between the two girls. "I am _not_ failing another mission. I've already compromised this enough." She flexed her fingers, causing Jade to be pulled toward her. Jade froze, now pushing backward and resisting with every muscle in her body. The pale girl's face turned pink with effort as she tried to fight Jade's will, but she was fighting a losing battle. However, she knew Jade would grow tired eventually, so she kept at it, completely silent.

The silence was intense for the redhead observing their battle-of-the-wills. Cat broke it, speaking cautiously. "You guys, can't we just stop fighting?" They didn't move. She walked closer to them, poking Jade's shoulder and doubling backward in pain. "Ow! Jade, you shocked me!"

"Stay out of this, Cat." Viviana said, barely audible, though you could have distinctly heard a feather hit the sand at the moment. "This isn't your fight."

"Don't tell her what to do," Jade defended, more defending herself than Cat. "You can't tell either of us what to do."

Her offender smirked. "You're just afraid of what you are. Of what you can be." She glanced over at Cat. "She's not."

"I'm not afraid." Blood pounded in Jade's ears.

Viviana chuckled. "Yes, you are. You're afraid of me, too."

Anger bubbled up inside of her. Jade clenched her fists, a cold, desolate look flooding her eyes. "I am _certainly _not afraid of you."

Their eyes remained locked.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

With that, Jade erupted. Her eyes turned dark, clouding over with a fiery red color. She felt power surging to her fingers, and clenched her fists so tight they turned white. Her skin burned, as if she was sitting on hot coals. The sand under her bare feet grew searingly scalding, and all the heat surrounding her built up in her body until she felt as if the tips of her hair were on fire. With all the pressure building up inside of her, it was only a matter of time before she let it loose. And she did.

Jade raised her hands, as if she were about to attack Viviana, and all the heat center on her fingertips, lingering for a moment. Cat and Viviana watched, awestruck and unable to move for fear of disrupting the false-peace. But it wasn't silent to Jade; voices whispered in her head.

_Do it..._

_Show them your power..._

_What are you waiting for, Giada?_

Jade released the tension in her fingers, sending a dark, fiery beam spurting out, headed straight for Cat and Viviana. Viviana took quick action and threw herself to the ground, pulling the redhead with her. The beam instead hit the sand behind them, setting the ground ablaze and smoking. The power continued to flow into the ground until she heard Cat whisper,

"Jade..."

The dark eyes met Cat's brown ones, causing her to freeze in place. A cold chill ran through Cat's skin at the eye contact with the girl she'd come to know so well in the past ten years. But it wasn't the same girl she looked at now. It was a stranger. And she wanted desperately to get her friend back.

"Jade, slow down and think."

The use of her name felt odd for some reason. Jade had expected her to refer to her as Giada, for a reason she couldn't understand. It was comforting and relaxing to be called by her real name, contrary to the voices in her head that begged Giada to continue; to destroy the two girls with the power she just discovered in herself. Jade felt peace settle in, and the passion in her hands died down. The beam slowly simmered down into a streak of darkness, and then disappeared into the burning sun that shone over the island. The air returned to its normal state, and everything was at rest once again, save for the gaping hole in the sand from where she had burned it.

She turned to Cat and Viviana, who were silently lying on the ground, in fear; of _her. _She felt overwhelmed with shame, and sighed.

Viviana shook her head. "This'll be harder than I thought."

;*"*"*"*"*;

_**What did you think? Review! **_

_**I'd thank you all for reading, but I have to go, so bye! :)**_

_****~Songbird341~****_


	11. NOTICE

****NOTICE****

* * *

><p>This story and this account has been abandoned.<p>

I honestly couldn't write anymore Victorious fiction. I've lost all inspiration for the show. I'm now writing other fanfiction on my new account, _**TheSongbird341. **_I did this to have a clean slate and a fresh start, but am keeping this account open but inactive because I'd like to look back at it someday. My new account will be where you can contact me, and I will **not **be finishing any of my current stories. Hate to say it, but I'm no more on this Victorious stuff.

My Twitter account is still active, so check out at-TheSongbird341 for updates on my _new_ stories!

Sorry, I hate to disappoint. I hope you'll accept my new account and stories. My new fanfiction will mostly be for: **White Collar, Once Upon a Time, Star Wars, Psych, **and maybe **Wreck-It Ralph, **just because I adore the movie. That should span across the age groups, hopefully.

Well, this is it. Goodbye Victorious peeps! I'm off to bigger and better things. I hope you'll join me :)

Farewell,

**_*** *-Songbird341-* ***_**


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